Scrap ejector and stacker



Dec. 24, 1935.

l.. BLANFORD 2,025,372

SCRAP EJECTOR AND STACKER Filed Nov. 17, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Dea 24, 1935. 1 BLANFORD SCRAP EJECTOR AND STACKER Filed Nov. 17, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 BLANFORD 2,025,372

SCRAP EJECTOR AND STACKER Filed Nov. 17, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lift/?! for? Kil/Ww 'Ufff/I ff.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES eATENr OFFICE SCRAP EJECTOR AND STACKER Application November 17, 1934, Serial No. 753,536

9 Claims.

The invention relates to a device for handling and disposing of scrap which has been ejected from an automatic strip press.

Heretofore scrap has been discharged promiscuously from automatic strip presses and the floor near the presses becomes littered With scattered pieces of scrap. Serious injuries have occurred to the operators of the presses from cutting of their feet and ankles on the ragged, sharp edges of the scrap lying around their machines, and there is much time lost and labor required in disposing of the scattered piles of scrap. It is to avoid these accidents and to save time and labor that the present scrap ejector and stacker has been devised.

An object of the invention therefore is to provide a mechanical device which Will take the sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched as they leave the press and arrange them in compact piles which may be removed at intervals as a unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above type which is driven in timed relation tothe press and which will accomplish the above results automatically and Without the attention of the operator of the press.

These and other objects Will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a piece of scrap from which blanks have been punched.

Figure 2 is a top and front view of one side of a press with an automatic scrap ejector and stacker driven thereby, looking in the direction of the arrow d in Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the press and stacking device.

Figure 4 is a view partially in plan and partially in section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation of the stacking device and showing in broken lines the stack being removed.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken centrally through the hinged stacking plate.

Figure '7 is a sectional View showing the manner in Which one of the rods which receives the scrap is mounted upon its base.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the base plate for the stacking rods.

Figure 9 is a side view of the ejecting drum and cally handling and disposing of scrap which has been ejected from a strip press. The illustrated device for carrying out the invention consists of a rotating drum which is mounted on a suitable pedestal at one side of the strip press. The drum 5 is driven by a suitable chain and sprockets from the crank shaft of the press and is mounted with its face tangent to a plane containing the surface of the bed of the strip press. An ejector nger or dog protrudes through an opening in 10 the face of the drum and is so located as to catch in the opening in the scrap left by the first blank tobe punched and in each strip just after the last blank is punched. As the drum rotates, the scrap held by the ejector finger is pulled out of 15 the press and carried around on the rim of the drum. A flat spring is provided which presses. against the drum and holds the scrap firmly against the rim thereof. As the drum carries the ejector nger to a position approximately 270 degrecs from the point Where it first engaged the scrap, a cam roller mounted on the ejector finger rides upon a suitable release cam and the ejector nger is depressed below the surface of the drum thereby releasing the scrap which has at 25 this time been carried clear of the spring. When released, thev scrap drops onto a stacker plate which is pivoted about a suitable hinge and timed to rise and receive the scrap as it is released. The scrap resting on the stacker plate which has risen to pick up the same is now carried by the stacker plate to a point where it falls therefrom and drops upon Vtwo upright rods. These rods are mounted on a suitable support or platform directly under the stacker plate and are spaced from one another to correspond With the blank openings in the scrap. In this manner, after repeated operations of the ejector drum and stacker plate, the scrap becomes arranged in a neat pile over the upright rods on the platform and can be carried away from the machine as a unit at desired intervals. The ejector drum and stacker plate are driven in timed relation to the press and the placing of the scrap over the upright rods is entirely7 automatic and requires no attention from the operator of the press.

Referring more in detail to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 2 and 3 thereof, an automatic press of well known type is diagrammatically shown and indicated at P. The press as shown is of the usual construction having a die and platen for automatically punching blanks from sheets of metal. After the blanks have been punched out of the sheet of metal in the Well known step by step manner, the sheet be- 55 comes scrap. It is for the purpose of handling this scrap that the new automatic scrap ejector and stacker plate has been devised.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows a piece of scrap S from which blanks have been punched and the openings formed by the die punches are indicated at s, s. The ejecting and stacking device comprises three units: an ejecting drum I, a stacking plate 2 and a loading platform or supporta?. upon which the scrap is piled in succession by the automatic functioning of the ejecting and stacking units I and 2. After the loading platform 3 becomes full, it may be removed by a hand truck to another part of the factory, carrying the scrap as a unit, and an empty platform substituted without interruption of the press or attention of the operator.

The ejector unit I comprises a drum 3 which is rotatably supported by a suitable bracket 4 which is in turn mounted on a stationary pedestal 5 at one side of the press. The axis of the drum is at an angle to the pedestal so as to place the face of the drum tangent to the plane of the bed of the press. The drum is mounted in this manner so that the scrap as it passes to the rim 6 of the drum will not be twisted. The pedestal which supports the drum is placed to one side of the press, the distance therefrom being sufhcient so that when the last blank is being punched from the scrap, the opening left by the first blank will be advanced to a point directly over the drum with the scrap sheet substantially tangent to the rim of the drum. This aids in the easy wrapping of the scrap sheet about the drum. The stacking device 2 is also supported by the pedestal 5, a detail description of which will be given later.

The drum is driven from the crank shaft of the press and revolves twice for every strip handled by the press. The driving means for the drum comprises suitable sprockets I and 8 and a sprocket chain 9 linked therebetween. An idler sprocket I 0 is adjustably mounted on the supporting bracket 4 for taking up the slack in the sprocket chain 9. The sprocket 8 is keyed to a driven shaft I I of the press and the sprocket 'I is attached to and turns with a hub I2 of a miter gear I3. 'I'he miter gear I3 in turn drives a miter gear I4 which is keyed to a central driving shaft I5 on which the drum is mounted. A suitable housing for supporting the driving shaft I5 is afforded `by bushings I6 (only one shown) mounted in the stationary drum supporting bracket 4.

The ejecting drum itself is cast in a form similar to a flat rimmed pulley having a central hub II and supporting spider arms I9 extending from the hub and integrally attached to the rinr of the drum. The hub II of the drum is keyed to the driving shaft I5 and held from endwise movement by a suitable bolt and washer. One of said spider arms has a boss I9 which is cast integrally therewith near the inner side of the rim of the drum. For counterbalancing the drum, a similar boss 2 0 is cast on the opposed spider arm to the one carrying the boss I9. The boss I9 is bored out and carries bushings 2i which support an oscillatably movable shaft 22. Secured 4to one end of the shaft 22 is an ejector'fnger or dog 23, one

. VVend of said dog being notched and broughtY to a best shown in dotted lines in Figure 9 of the drawings.

As will be noted in Figure 5 of the drawings, the drum assembly I is provided with a cover plate Ia secured by screws Eb threaded in suitable bosses Ic, shown in Fig. 10. The purpose of this cover plate is obvious and merely keeps dust and dirt from the working parts within the drum.

Secured to the other end of the shaft 22 is a cam roller arm 25 which carries a cam roll 2B. The dog 23, shaft 22 and cam roller arm 25 operate as a unit and are held in position with the end 24 of the dog projecting through the rim of the drum by a spring 23. as to the distance it projects through the opening in the drum by means of a set screw 21 carried by the cam arm 25.

Means Vfor releasing the scrap from its engagement with the dog 23 is provided by the action of a dog release cam 28 which is mounted on a support 29, the latter being clamped to the hub of the bracket 4. The release cam 28 contacts with the cam roll 26, retracting the end 24 of the dog and thus releases the scrap. The release cam support is adjustable by means of a set screw The dog is adjustableV 29a about the hub 4 to time the releasing of the dog to different lengths of scrap. A flat spring 39 is carried by a suitable bracket 3| which is attached to the side of the press by means of a bracket 31a. scrap ilrmly against the, rim of the drum until the dog is released from its grip upon the scrap by action of the release cam and cam roller.

The stacking unit 2 is supported by a suitable bracket 32 which is attached to the drum supporting bracket 4 beneath the drum by suitable screws 33. The bracket 32 extends outwardly beyond the rim of the drum and has attached to the outer end thereof,by means of the rivets 35,

a stacker plate supporting bracket 34 (see Figure 6 of the drawings). Hinged to the bracket 34 bymeans of a hinge pin 36 is a stacker plate 31. The stacker plate is cut out as indicated at 31 so that it will conform to the face of the drum and may be mounted in close proximity thereto. The stacker plate rises and falls in an arc in timing with the rotation of the drum as the scrap is released from the drum, for the purpose of receiving the scrap and placing the same on the loading platform 3. plate consists of an eccentric 38 mounted on the face of a suitable disk 39 which is rotated by the shaft carrying the miter gear I3. The stacker plate 3'I has a rock arm 40 which is connected to the eccentric 35 by meansrof a link 4I and is i.

thus rocked thereby.

The loading platform 3 is supporte-d by suitable angle irons 42 which raise it from the floor Sulliciently to clear the hand truck for carrying off the same. mounted onfthe platform 3 and held by supports 44 having suitable bolts 45 extending through the supports and through slots 45 inthe platform. The rods 43 are set and spaced one from another so as to enter the end holes in the scrap as it is delivered by the stacker plate 3l. As may be seen in Figure 7 of the drawings, the rods are mounted ata slight angle from the vertical by means o1' a wedge block 4'I located between thesupports 44 for the rods and the platform. This is desirable because the scrap, as it straightens out after be ing heldagainst the ejector drum, strikes the side of the press and is forced away from itras it falls overthe stacker rods. Ihe angle vat which the latter are mounted is arranged to carry the scrap The spring 30 adapted to hold the The drive for the stacker e,

Two ,upright rods 43 areradjustably' away from the side of the press and permit it to l'ay flat.

From the above description the operation of the machine should be apparent. The ejector drum driven by a chain from the crank shaft of the press revolves twice for every strip handled byy the press. rhe ejector dog is so located that it catches in the opening of the scrap left by the first blank to be punched in the strip, just after the last blanks are punched. As the ejector drum revolves, the scrap held by the ejector dog is pulled out of the press and carried around on the rim of the ejector drum. The flat spring 3l). pressing against the ejector drum, holds the scrap rmly against the face thereof. As the drum carries the dog to a position approximately 270 degrees from the point where it rst engaged the scrap, the cam roller controlling the ejector dog strikes and rides upon the release cam, depressing the ejector iinger below the surface of the drum and thus releases the scrap which has by this time been carried clear of the spring Bil. When the sheet of scrap is released, it drops onto the stacker pla-te, contacting with the same at the angle thereof and gravity will tend to turn the sheet in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3, said sheet turning about the edge resting on the stacker plate as a center. This stacker plate is so positioned relative to the rods that the rods will pass through the openings in the sheet. The member 3l of the stacker plate is rising during this time, and will aid in positively bringing about this turning down or inverting of the scrap sheet over the rodsl. The stacker plate now returns to its former position and the ejector drum makes a complete idle revolution while the press is punching out the first part oi the next strip. As the punching is completed, the ejector drum will have again reached the position where it is ready to take hold of the next strip. By successive cycles of operation of the ejector drum and stacker plate, the loading platform soon becomes piled with scrap which may be moved as a unit from the press and an empty platform substituted therefor.

While the invention is useful in any type of strip press and the part out out referred to as a blank, it is particularly adapted for a die press which cuts and forms can ends from a strip of metal.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement 4of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associated therewith including a rotating drum, a device carried by the drum for positively engaging the sheets of scrap in succession as they are discharged from the press, means for releasing said engaging device, and means for delivering each sheet to the stackholder in succession when openings therein are in proper alignment with the upright rods carried by the stackholder.

2. A device for ejecting an-d stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associated therewith including a rotating drum, a dog carried bythe drum for engaging the sheets of scrap as they are discharged from the press, means for releasing said dog, and means operating independently of the drum and' in timed relation therewith for receiving the sheets one aiter ano-ther and placing them in successi-ve order over the upright rods carried by the stackholder.

3. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associatedy therewith including a rotating drum, a dog carried by the drum for engaging the sheets of scrap as they are discharged from the press, means for holding the sheet of scrap in contact with the face of the drum as it rotates, means for releasing said dog, and means operating independently of the drum and in timed relation therewith for receiving the sheets one after another and placing them insuccessive order over the upright rods carried by the stackholder.

4. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associated therewith including a rotating drum, a device carried by the drum for positively engaging the sheets of scrap in succession as they are discharged from the press, means for releasing said engaging device, a member associated with said drum onto which said sheet of scrap falls and about which said Sheet turns so as to place the sheet over the upright, rods carried by the stackholder, a plate carried by said member, and m'eans for moving said member to cause said plate to force the scrap into position so that it will drop o-ver the rods carried by the stackholder.

5. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associated therewith including a rotating drum, a device carried by the drum `for positively engaging the sheets of scrap in succession as they are discharged from the press, means for releasing said engaging device, a member associated with said drum onto which said sheet of scrap falls and about which said sheet turns so as to place the sheet over the upright rods carried by the stackholder, a laterally extending plate carried by said member, means for pivotally supporting said member, and means for oscillating said member in timing with the rotatio-n of the drum whereby said plate is caused to positively force the sheet of scrap to turn on said supporting member for the stacking of the scrap on the rods of the stackholder.

6. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have bene punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associated therewith including a rotating drum, a dog carried by the drum for engaging the sheets of scrap as they are discharged from the press, means for holding the sheet of scrap in contact with the face of the drum as it rotates, means for releasing said dog, and a member associated with said drum onto which said sheet of scrap falls and about which said sheet turns so as to place the sheet over the upright rods carried by the stackholder.

'7. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associated therewith'including a rotating'drum, a dog carried by the drum for engaging the sheets of scrap as they are discharged from the press, means for holding the sheet of scrap in contact with the face of the drum as it rotates, means for releasing said dog, a member associated with said drum onto which said sheet of scrap falls and about which said sheet turns so as to place the sheet over the upright rods carried by the stackholder, a plate carried by said member, and means for moving said member to cause said plate to force the scrap into position so that it will drop over the rods carried by the stackholder.

8. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods Vdisposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and

a piling mechanism associated therewith including a traveling member, a device carried by the traveling member for positively engaging the sheets of scrap in succession as they arey discharged from the press, and means operating independently of the traveling member and Vin timed relation therewith for receiving the sheets one after another and placing them in successive order over the upright rods carried by the stackholder.

9. A device for ejecting and stacking sheets of scrap from which blanks have been punched, comprising a stackholder having upright rods disposed so as to enter openings in the scrap, and a piling mechanism associated therewith including a rotating drum, a device carried by the drum for positively engaging the sheets of scrap in succession as they are discharged from the press, means for releasing said engaging device, and a hinged member associated with said drum onto which each sheet of scrap falls as it is released from the drum, said hinged member being rocked in timed relation with the delivery of the scrap from the drum so as to place each sheet over the upright rods carried by the stackholder.

LYLE BLANFORD. 

